Living in cornavirusworld 57: We have not been orphaned

5/18

a place to start

So it turns out today is Victoria Day in Canada. (A uniquely Canadian holiday.) So our International Sanctuary working group meeting has been postponed until June 1. Four of us didn’t get the memo as they say and were waiting in the ZOOM room until we reached someone and figured it out. 

After planning out the week, it’s a good opportunity to do the errands left over from a busy.  weekend.  Stops at the drug store, and Best Market for groceries. On my walk back home, I notice a solo trombone player at the corner of 116th and Fredrick Douglass. 

solo trombone

Heading  home on 115th, I recall that there have been volunteers in Luigi’s Garden all weekend, clearing and cleaning, getting the garden ready.

cleaning out the garden

After preparing my BibleStudy, I go for my walk and at 110th and 5th Avenue, there’s the same trombone player, bracketing my day. He’s at least a mile away from where I saw him before. I wonder where he began, how many stops he made and how his take has been on his busker’s journey.  He's playing 'When the Saints..." a taste of  New Orleans in Harlem. 

trobone player reappears

Tonight we’re studying John 14: 15-21. But there will of course be lots of conversation about yesterday’s meeting. This section of John is about “the power of the Holy Spirit.” Jesus is preparing his followers for the fact that he will  not be with them in the flesh. In the midst of our 50 day Easter season, we are reflecting on the risen Christ’s earthly appearances between his resurrection and ascension.  So the church finds these word of Jesus a helpful parallel for preparing  us for the post-Easter time of the risen Jesus’ departure and the season of the Holy Spirit. On first hearing, the passage that strikes Marsha is verse 16, the comforter. What does that mean? Like a warm blanket to wrap round you? An arm around your shoulder?  Russ bemoans a theology of comfort that ignores social responsibility. I am most taken by v.18, I will not leave you orphaned. We will later talk about how in Jesus' day, orphan had not only sociological, but economic. Orphans were among society's most vulnerable, and therefore the constant concern of the Torah as in ...widows, orphans and the stranger at your gate...Which sounds like the current administration's deportation list.

There is a strong emphasis on the keeping of Jesus’ commandments. (See also 15:9, 14:15, 21-24) In John’s circular argument, a connection between keeping the commandments, knowing Jesus and loving Jesus. 

The word translated in King James as “comforter’ (v.16) is actually the Greek word for advocate, as a defense attorney. In ancient Hebrew cosmology, Satan was the prosecuting attorney (as in Job) and the Holy Spirit the defense attorney.  In personal terms, the voice that tells you you can’t do it, you’re no good, why even try, that’s Satan. The voice that tells you that you have value are worthy of love and can do it, that’s the Holy Spirit. The Greek word paraclete can mean “helper” or “comforter”as well, depending in the context. It’s important to note that in the gospels, John is the only one to use this term, four times: (14:26, 15:26, 16:7, 1 John 2:1).

Further, the Holy Spirit, the advocate, is the Spirit of Truth. There’s that word again. Like in I am the way, the truth and the life.... Again, this is uniquely John’s language. (Although we find similar language in the Dead Sea scrolls.). 

In essence, John’s argument comes down to the Spirit of Truth is connected to Jesus.  The world does not know or receive Jesus, therefore the world does not know TRUTH.  Truth is a big word. The fullness of truth is always and always will be beyond us. BUT, if you truly see Jesus, you see the TRUTH. There is a common narrative in popular Christianity to see the Holy Spirit as what Jesus left us with after he left earth. As if it didn’t exist before. In fact, in the Jewish tradition, the Holy Spirit has been there since the beginning. The breath that blew across the primordial waters to separate out the dry land was ruah, the Holy Spirt.  The breath that breathed into the lifeless clay Adam (earth-man) was the Holy Spirit. In John’s cosmology, Jesus was cosmic. The Creator, Christ and Holy Spirit were all present at creation, three distinct persons and yet one. Trinity.  Which maybe only Buddhists and readers of Marvel comics can understand. 

In 18-24, Jesus speaks of his return as abiding presence.  But notice, he’s talking about his return after crucifixion, not a second coming. ‘In a little while, the world will not see me but you will see me because I live and you will live. I am in my father and you in me and I in you.” 

(‘I am the walrus” again: I am he as you are he as you are me And we are all together’) It’s a circular argument: Those who keep my commandments love me, therefore they are loved by my father, therefore loved by me and I will reveal myself to them.” 

The popular concept of a “second coming,” that is Jesus coming back in triumph, is basically not a concern for John. Because he’s been here all along. Never left. And where does he live? Inside us. 

The earliest witness to the resurrection textually is Paul. He meets the risen Christ in an internal experience on the Damascus road. For him, Christ is not seen, but experienced. This happens after Paul witnessed the stoning of the apostle Stephen. Even holding the cloaks of stoners. My riff here is that in seeing Stephen, Paul saw Jesus. Later he will tell us that we will know him as he has. (1 Corinthians 15)  Likewise, in writing about the resurrection Bishop Spong argued that it was breakfast on the beach (John 21) when eating together, they experienced him within themselves and their companionship.  

Simply, we don’t see Jesus (except in others) we experience Jesus. 

We are not talking about belief in doctrines here. This is something else entirely.  To love Jesus, follow his commandments. When you do so, you will know him. Acting precedes belief. 

We finish by talking about the meeting. Beyond concerns about the lack of coherent vision at any level of denominational institution, despite the frustrating moments of conversation, coronavirus inspired uncertainty about the future, nevertheless the actions taken indicate hope. And remaining possibility.  Acting precedes belief. 

No we have not been orphaned. He is with us still. 

Third Sunday in Easter: Breakfast on the beach. And in the sacntuary

4/14

Kimberley leading worsip

Kimberley is leading worship today. She’s got something different in store. The front of the sanctuary is filled with tables. And she’s brought donuts and coffee. Two interesting visitors: Adona, a young  woman from Poland. And Joe from San Francisco, a member here 30 years ago. Says that West-Park changed his life. As we’re waiting to begin, I do my talk about the socio-architectural history of the church, point to the pictures on the back wall historic display of Bob Davidson, the Pastor back then, and Laura Jervis, his associate, who founded the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing. 

So we sit at tables, sharing food. As we read the scriptures, we begin with Psalm 30. Kimberley asks us to remember back and talk about what Easter season, spring, meant to us when we were small. I remember the garden tools we received from our parents.The gardens we planted annually behind the chicken coop, in the shade of the apple orchard. The harvest that would come in summer and fall.  Jamie remembers new patent leather shoes. And Pat the year I preached a sermon about planting seeds in Lent, watching them grow during Easter. 

With Acts 9: 1-20, we read of Paul’s Damascus Road experience. And remember our own turn arounds. Unexpected redirections of our lives. For me that was my time in  Tulsa. How much I resisted going there. The last place I ever thought I’d be.And how well that turned out. Maybe the happiest ten years of my work life. Never experienced as much  grace as I  did there. How we need to be open to that.

Finally, as we read the Gospel, John 21: 1-19,  in Spanish and English, the meaning of worshipping like this becomes clear. Jesus on the beach. Waiting or his friends who have gone back to fishing. (And not too successful at that...) How he makes breakfast on the beach for them. I remember St. Peter’s fish in Israel. And I imagine the smell of the broiled fish. And they recognize Jesus in this shared meal. As we encounter one another around these tables. 

There is a sense of warmth and community around our tables.  Adona, who’s returning to Poland tomorrow,tells me how moved she was. How alive, intimate the morning felt. And Joe felt reconnected to an important time in his life.

Our Session meets. Rental proposals to consider. Stephen’s negotiations. And his ideas for future negotiations. Our ongoing big picture negotiations, moving at a glacial, frustrating pace. Remembering that it is Easter, it is spring. 

A woman has come in looking for the 1 PM service. Still up there on the bootleg website we can’t seem to get rid of. I explain. Tell her about what happens at 2 PM. Invite her back for next Sunday.

Sanctuary has begun their afternoon service. Wrapping up some things in my office. Pat and Larry come in. Planning the next phase of office reclamation. Renewal. Recreation. They’ve done a great job so far. Need to get some others to help carry the load.

It is Easter. It is spring.